Doha:A special treat for football fans who want to experience Qatar through sailing as 40 refurbished dhow boats are ready to operate during the global soccer tournament.
Director of Tourism Licensing at Qatar Tourism, Mohammad Al Ansari, announced this in a press conference on Thursday where he pointed out that the project which started last year is aimed to restore and upgrade the boats while retaining the authentic traditional exterior. These dhows are located along Corniche area.
In order to maximise passenger comfort and provide leisure activities for locals and visitors distinguished by high quality service, the renovated dhows are also outfitted with new amenities.
A traditional dhow trip is among the diverse activities that football fans can enjoy while staying in the country.
The dhow refurbishment project is part of the Qatar Tourism’s Service Excellence which seeks to preserve Qatar’s legacy and enhance the customer experience.
The term “dhow”, originally Swahili, refers to a wide range of wooden boats with one or more masts and triangular sails fastened to cross beams. Dhows were thriving along the East African coast.
Though historians remain divided as who conceived the dhow, basically teak planks sewn together, it is suggested they were invented either by Arabs or Indians.
Originally fishing, pearling or trading vessels, they are still used to transport goods along the coasts of the Arabia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and East Africa.
Al Ansari has also revealed that over 9,500 Holiday Home rooms are available for the World Cup, this in collaboration with booking platforms such as Expedia, airbnb and Booking.com. He also added that there are over 3,500 properties that are now licensed.
Ahead of the biggest sporting event, Qatar Tourism has kicked off multiple inspection campaigns at hotels, specialised tourist clubs, ATV operations, entertainment cities and festivals, and tourist camps.
